The present invention is related to agitators for breaking up compacted or clumps of particulate material within a storage bin ahead of a bin unloader assembly.
Present particulate storage containers have capacities for receiving bulk quantities of particulate material such as grain, corn, or beans, to heights greater than 80 feet. This results in extremely high pressure on the material near the bin floor. Particularly in the case of beans, compaction causes matting or caking of the material along the bin floor. The caked product tends to impede or at least slow down normal auger type unloader assemblies.
An object of this invention is to provide an agitator mechanism by which the clumps of compacted particulate material are broken up into flowable particulates prior to engagement thereof by the unloader assembly.